So who is PM now?

[Clippy]

Rumour has it that Adrian Childs is being lined up as his replacement.

[Boudica]

It's ed (balls) or ed (milliband) or dave

[centurian]

The pound dropped 1 point as soon as GB made the annoucement.

[Sysman]

I suggest reading what he actually said.

He didn't say he was stepping down.

I didn't say he was stepping down. But The Times claims he's stepping down as leader of the Labour Party. Not the same thing as stepping down as PM, though I believe that historically the two have gone hand in hand.

Just for laughs, the Times points out the possibility of another unelected PM:

That election will be concluded by the Labour Party autumn conference in Manchester, meaning that Britain could again have an unelected Labour prime minister.

[Flubster]

I didn't say he was stepping down. But The Times claims he's stepping down as leader of the Labour Party. Not the same thing as stepping down as PM, though I believe that historically the two have gone hand in hand.

Just for laughs, the Times points out the possibility of another unelected PM:

I seem to remember John Major resigning as leader of the Tories as a way of getting the party behind him. Whilst the party was 'leaderless' for a few weeks, he remained the PM. The two things are distinctly separate....

[thunderlizard]

It's going to make for a short conversation with Nick Clegg:
"We want voting reform and lower starting rate tax...um, could you put that holiday brochure down and listen for a minute?"

[The Wikir Man]

It's ed (balls) or ed (milliband) or dave

David Milliband (known as "the evil of two lessers") is bookies favourite by a long way. There's also been talk of a Miliband stitch up - Ed takes votes away from the other lefty candidate so his brother gets the top job.

Balls won't get it, after turning his safe seat into a marginal at the last election, which required a recount.

Surprised no-one has mentioned Harman as a possibility yet.

(Tony Blair is also available at 100-1)

[The Wikir Man]

Just for laughs, the Times points out the possibility of another unelected PM:

Another unelected PM in the long line:

Gordon Brown, 2007
John Major, 1990
Jim Callaghan, 1976
Alec Douglas-Home, 1963
Harold MacMillan, 1957
Anthony Eden, 1955
Winston Churchill, 1940
Neville Chamberlain, 1937
Stanley Baldwin, 1923
Andrew Bonar Law, 1922
David Lloyd George, 1916
H H Asquith, 1908
Arthur Balfour, 1902

Compared with the list of 20th century prime ministers who were elected, it's significantly longer.

[thunderlizard]

where did that list come from? Its bonkers!

[The Wikir Man]

where did that list come from? Its bonkers!

Just looking at the list of prime ministers, and then viewing the circumstances of their ascendency.

Although Bonar Law first became prime minister without needing an election, he did call one pretty soon after and win the election, so maybe he shouldn't be on the list.